FORT MYERS, Fla. − Florida residents loaded up on sandbags and evacuated from homes in low-lying areas along the Gulf Coast Monday as Tropical Storm Idalia intensified and forecasters predicted it to carry dangerous winds, life-threatening storm surge, and heavy, flooding rain.
The storm was “lingering” near western Cuba late Monday and was expected to become a major hurricane over the eastern Gulf of Mexico, where warm waters are expected to help the storm strengthen, the National Hurricane Center said.
Idalia has been struggling with wind shear to its west but Cuban radar images show a partial eyewall forming, and the latest information from reconnaissance flights show Idalia is “very near hurricane strength,” according to senior hurricane specialist Richard Pasch. Tropical storm force winds were extending up to 150 miles from the center of the storm.
Ryan Truchelut, chief meteorologist at Florida-based WeatherTiger, said conditions remained ripe for rapid intensification starting Tuesday morning. He projected landfall in Florida to take place by midday Wednesday somewhere along the Big Bend and Nature Coast.
Idalia could become just the second Category 3 or higher hurricane to make landfall there in the past 170 years, he said.
“Idalia will likely bring catastrophic surge to a broad swath of the west-central Florida and Big Bend coastline and a core of destructive winds to an unlucky but still unknown swath of North Florida,” said Truchelut, who provides forecasts for the USA TODAY Network.
Hurricane watches were in effect along more than 300 miles of the Florida Coast − from Longboat Key, 60 miles south of Tampa, to the Ochlockonee River near Tallahassee. A major hurricane is a Category 3, 4 or 5 storm or higher on the Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind speed scale; a storm becomes a Category 3 hurricane when maximum wind speeds reach at least 111 mph.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency in 46 counties, a broad swath that stretches across the northern half of the state from the Gulf Coast to the Atlantic Coast. Pasco County, north of Tampa, issued a mandatory evacuation order for some areas − and throughout the county of almost 600,000 people for those living in manufactured or mobile homes or RVs.
The county will open shelters Tuesday morning.
“Please consider riding out the storm with family or friends,” county officials said in a statement. “If that’s not an option, you can evacuate directly to a Pasco County shelter.”
Spaghetti models:See latest satellite images, spaghetti models for Idalia
Developments:
∎ Up to 12 feet of ocean water could surge over the Florida shoreline and along inland rivers and creeks as the storm rolls in, raising concerns for flooding that could be extensive.
∎ Late Monday, the storm’s center was 10 miles northwest of the western tip of Cuba. Idalia was moving toward the north at 8 mph with sustained winds of 70 mph.
∎ The storm’s center was forecast to sweep over or near western Cuba on Monday night and into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico by early Tuesday. Idalia was forecast to speed up and turn north-northeast as it roars toward Florida.
Idalia has ‘infernal potential’:Storm takes aim at Florida, forecaster warns
‘Dangerous situation’ for Florida with 21 counties under evacuation orders
While some parts of the state — such as Tampa Bay — will not see landfall, Truchelut warned that the key and “number one” threat from Idalia is going to be the storm surge. Life-threatening conditions are expected along portions of the Florida coast.
“It’s a dangerous situation developing for north central and west central Florida,” Truchelut said during a Monday night forecast.
Idalia, according to Truchelut, was “just shy” of Category 1 hurricane intensity and is expected to strengthen into a major hurricane by the end of Tuesday before making landfall in Florida on Wednesday.
In addition to hurricane conditions, there is the potential for flash and urban flooding across Florida and portions of Georgia and the Carolinas. Truchelut also warned the possibility of storm and localized surges going higher than the predicted eight to 12 feet.
“If you’re in a low lying area that floods anywhere in the Apalachee Bay and Nature Coast, you got to get out of there,” Truchelut said.
State expects power outages, preps for water rescues
By Monday, DeSantis declared a state of emergency for 46 of the state’s 67 counties. The governor warned that trees will come down and power outages are “just going to happen.”
The state has mobilized more than 2,500 National Guard members and airmen with another 3,000 in pre-staged deployment, DeSantis said. They will be equipped with 2,400 high-water vehicles and 12 aircraft to prepare for rescues.
Seven urban search and rescue teams are also ready for deployment once the storm passes. The state’s emergency operations center in Tallahassee shifted into around-the-clock operations Monday morning.
“These things can wobble, so Floridians along our Gulf Coast should be vigilant, even if you are currently outside” the likely track of the storm, he said.
Residents prepare for Idalia: ‘Better safe than sorry’
The Home True Value Hardware store in Holmes Beach has been humming with people stopping in and preparing for the storm, head cashier Gloria Creighton said Monday. The store’s sales have doubled, selling more than usual.
So far, the hardware store has run out of sandbags, bungee cords, and tarps. And many customers have bought flashlights, batteries, and all different sizes of propane canisters — which the store had a delivery on Monday.
Creighton said the store will probably be closed on Tuesday. This comes as other stores throughout Holmes Beach began closing Monday, some with sandbags before the doors and others boarded up.
“Everybody’s getting ready, is what it is,” Creighton added. “Better safe than sorry.”
For Destiney Lejander, 29, a Sarasota renter, the impending Idalia is her first hurricane. But Lejander, who previously lived in Tennessee, said she feels prepared for the hurricane.
“I have sliding glass doors in my bedroom, so I’m going to take these and pack that down to try to keep everything together,” she said. “I made sure I had flashlights, batteries, and I got groceries today, pet supplies, and even bug spray in case there is standing water. I thought about heading out, but I think I’m just going to hunker down.”
— Gabriela Szymanowska and Samantha J. Gholar, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
Pine Island, still recovering from Ian, braces for Idalia
Matlacha-Pine Island Fire District chief Ben Mickuleit said that although the island’s entire electrical grid was taken down less than a year ago by the wind and storm surge of Hurricane Ian, he wasn’t as concerned about the potential for electrical grid damage as he was for homes hit by Ian that had not yet been fully repaired. Mickuleit advised residents prepare their homes by moving outdoor furniture inside. Sand and sandbags were available at the firehouse, he said.
Julia Simpson, secretary of nonprofit charitable organization Matlacha Hookers, said people in Pine Island’s St. James City who saw significant flooding during Ian have begun moving vehicles and themselves to higher ground and filling bathtubs.
“I think everyone’s a little more hypervigilant about doing those things this time,” she said. “Since it’s so uncertain and it is in the Gulf, people are trying to get the basics taken care of.”
How do hurricanes form?An inside look at the birth and power of ferocious storms
Tampa airport, port announce closures ahead of Idalia
Tampa International Airport will shut down at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday and expects to reopen Thursday morning after assessments of the damage, authorities said. Port Tampa Bay already has closed for inbound ships because of the coming storm, although “landside” operations such as fueling remain open, authorities said. The Coast Guard has set the port conditions to YANKEE, meaning gale force winds are possible within 24 hours.
“The port has been in contact with our partner fuel terminal operators and have been assured they are prepared to deliver fuel and support consumers,” the port said in a statement.
Cabbage Key ‘battening down the hatches’
On Lee County’s Cabbage Key, they are taking preparations seriously at the popular island spot Cabbage Key Inn & Restaurant, where Jimmy Buffett is rumored to have written the song “Cheeseburger in Paradise.” The popular post-fishing trip stop is closing down ahead of the storm, and employees who left the island were given Tuesday and Wednesday off.
“We are battening down the hatches,” said restaurant manager Thomas James, explaining that the restaurant was doing its typical hurricane prep in case the storm turned or intensified.
Because of Cabbage Key’s remote location, a number of employees live in dorm-style housing. James said the restaurant had not yet decided to evacuate its employees yet, but there was room at its Bokeelia-based sister restaurant Tarpon Lodge and “plenty of boats to take employees off-island.”
Message to Pine Island residents: Don’t panic
Some barrier islands along Southwest Florida, such as Pine Island, Matlacha, Sanibel and Fort Myers Beach saw widespread devastation from Hurricane Ian’s heavy winds and 14-foot-high storm surge less than one year ago. Now, faced with Hurricane Idalia, local leaders are urging people to stay calm but prepare.
Jen and Kevin Russell, who run the popular Facebook page Things to do on Pine Island, are considered the unofficial mayors of the unincorporated island. The Russells’ message to Pine Islanders was simple: Don’t panic.
“We don’t want to create any anxiety for people,” said Jen, adding that fear might keep people from smart decisions. Kevin said they planned to keep Pine Islanders informed through their Facebook page, as they did during Ian.
Sanibel, blasted by Ian, awaits Idalia
Sanibel City Council member Holly Smith, who was mayor when Hurricane Ian devastated the island in September, said that as a hotelier she’s busy preparing while navigating a flurry of meetings Monday. On the schedule so far: the fire district, Lee County Electric Cooperative, a likely City Council meeting and a roundtable with Sen. Rick Scott about lessons learned from Hurricane Ian. She said she has asked Lee County officials for a state of emergency to prepare for evacuations and other responses as the storm grows stronger.
She estimated there are about 1,000 residents on the island and fewer than 100 visitors because of limited room availability.
After Ian, “I would rather have a citizen upset with me for a couple of days if nothing comes to pass, then have to handle the mess we did post-Ian,” she said.
Schools closed as Idalia approaches
All public schools in Hernando County, which includes the Spring Hill and Weeki Wachee areas, about 50 miles north of Tampa, were closed Monday and will remain so until at least Wednesday. Multiple schools are being used as shelters for those living on the coast or in low-lying areas.
Pasco-Hernando State College canceled all in-person and remote classes scheduled after 5 p.m. Monday. The school’s facilities, including its three campuses, are expected to reopen Thursday.
School districts in Hillsborough County, which includes Tampa, as well as Citrus and Pinellas counties, canceled classes Tuesday and Wednesday.
Multiple Central Florida school districts announced closures, too. No classes will be held on Tuesday and Wednesday in Marion County public schools. Lake County Schools announced classes would be canceled Wednesday. Other districts, including Orange County, which includes Orlando, said they were monitoring the movements of Idalia.
– Christopher Cann
State parks closed and famed mermaid show shut down
On Monday, voluntary evacuations were issued for all areas west of U.S. 19, including Hernando Beach, Pine Island and Weeki Wachee State Park.
Weeki Wachee State Park, known for its mermaid shows and the head spring of the Weeki Wachee River, was closed on Monday and will reopen “as soon as conditions allow,” according to the Florida state parks website.
As of Monday afternoon, a total of 80 state parks expected to be potentially impacted by the Idalia were closed.
Manatee and Pinellas counties each issued mandatory level A evacuations, which applies to vulnerable coastal areas as well as all mobile homes and RVs. A voluntary evacuation was also issued for others in areas at risk of being impacted by potentially deadly storm surge.
“We’re expecting significant storm surge along the barrier islands and coastal communities for Idalia, with the earliest arrival predicted for Tuesday,” said Jodie Fiske, the Manatee County public safety director, in a public statement. “This is a very dangerous track that we all need to be aware of.”
– Christopher Cann
Idalia could make landfall near Cedar Key
Idalia could be headed for a landfall near Cedar Key, based on Monday’s forecast.
“We’re not on the coast, we’re three miles into the Gulf,” Sue Colson, a Cedar Key city commissioner told USA TODAY on Monday. “It looks bad.”
Everybody in the small island community was doing storm prep Monday, in advance of an expected evacuation, Colson said. She said the city and Levy County have a well-honed emergency plan. The town’s residents were trailering boats out of town, and moving things to higher ground.
“We’re used to it,” Colson said. The small archipelago has been hit repeatedly by storms. The last major damage came with Hurricane Hermione’s 8-foot storm surge in 2016.
This time the community is forecast to have a 7- to 11-foot storm surge, with a potential for 115 mph winds, Colson said. Wednesday was already forecast to be one of the highest tides of the calendar year, coinciding with the full moon.
“This is not a good scene,” she said. “We don’t like it but that’s the price we pay. We’re sitting in the Gulf. We know how to clean up and rebuild.”
The island’s residents were removing propane tanks, securing garbage cans and loose items that could wind up in the Gulf. Colson said the community’s residents have to be aware the electric, sewage and water will all be turned off, and there may not be a road if Idalia moves through at full-strength.
– Dinah Voyles Pulver
Follow the path of Idalia as it heads toward Florida
Coastal areas brace for flooding from storm surge
Storm surge – a rapid increase in water levels that push inland up rivers and streams – was expected to create a serious flooding threat along Florida’s west coast. The National Hurricane Center increased and extended its surge forecast Monday with the expectation that Idalia will become a major hurricane, with winds in excess of 110 mph, as it nears the coast. Idalia will be making landfall during a full moon, the time of the month when tides are at their highest.
The center warned the surge could be as high as 7 to 11 feet from the Big Bend south to Homosassa Springs, and a storm surge warning is in place from St. Marks, Florida, south to Port Charlotte. The surge could be on the higher end of the forecast if Idalia makes landfall at high tide.
The peak surge forecast decreases by degrees further south along the coast, but could be anywhere from 3 feet to 9 feet, depending on the proximity to landfall, the hurricane center said.
− Dinah Voyles Pulver
Neighbor helping neighbor in Manatee County
Dave Clement, 66, lives on the second level of a condo building in Bradenton Beach south of Tampa. He drove a couple of miles south to Coquina Beach, where Manatee County workers dumped sand and bags for locals preparing for the storm. Clement said he was shoveling sandbags for his downstairs neighbor, who was traveling.
Clement said that while it remained unclear where the storm will hit, it was best to prepared for whatever might come.
“When you live in a condo association, you know, you’re all connected,” Clement said. “That’s how I look at it. You want to make sure your neighbor’s going to be OK.”
− Sarasota Herald-Tribune staff
Damaging winds, up to 18 inches of rain
“Major, life-threatening flooding” was possible, with 4 to 8 inches of rain possible from northern Florida through the Southeast − and some areas could see up to 18 inches of rain, AccuWeather said. AccuWeather meteorologist Brandon Buckingham said damaging winds of 40 to 60 mph can be expected across Florida and parts of the Southeast in coming days.
“Closest to where the tropical system makes landfall, however, wind gusts of up to 120 to 140 mph can occur,” he said.
What is storm surge?Explaining a hurricane’s deadliest and most destructive threat
Contaminated gas complicates storm preparations
Drivers along Florida’s Gulf Coast were told they could have purchased gas contaminated with diesel fuel over the weekend as residents in the area prepared for Idalia. Florida officials warned Sunday that any fuel purchased after 10 a.m. on Saturday at stations supplied by Citgo from the Port of Tampa has a strong likelihood of being contaminated with diesel fuel.
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services said contaminated gasoline and diesel could damage the engine or affect its operation.
− Sarasota Herald-Tribune staff
Idalia will also target Georgia, Carolinas, Virginia
Georgia, South and North Carolina and Virginia will be the next targets as Idalia sweeps over Florida, forecasters say. Up to 8 inches and wind gusts of more than 40 mph are likely through eastern Georgia and the Carolinas and possibly Virginia later in the week and approaching Labor Day weekend.
“By late week, the storm can turn toward the east and reemerge over the Atlantic Ocean,” Buckingham said. “At this point, little reintensification can be expected, and the system will be moving away from the East Coast toward Bermuda.”
Hurricane Franklin is season’s first ‘major’ hurricane
Hurricane Franklin was rapidly intensifying early Monday and reached Category 4 strength with maximum sustained winds estimated at 145 mph. The first “major” hurricane of the season, the storm was centered more than 400 miles north of Grand Turk Island and moving north-northwest at 8 mph. Later this week, Franklin will hit Bermuda, AccuWeather said. Franklin also is expected to be felt along the U.S. East Coast, where “rough surf and rip currents could imperil swimmers as summer winds down,” AccuWeather warned.
What is the Saffir-Simpson scale?Breaking down the hurricane category scale
Contributing: Cheryl McCloud, USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida; The Associated Press
